Hot on the Nova Scotia Chowder Trail

Tourists travel from all over to see Peggy’s Point Lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, a small fishing community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay. On June 24, 2013 in Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Many fishermen catch Mackarel, Pollock, and Perch along the Halifax Harbour for bait for bigger fish, like Strip Bass at the Bay of Fundy.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

The Five Fishermen Restaurant & Grill in Halifax offers a chowder soup that has subtle flavours with a hint of dill, and large pieces of fish that fall apart in your mouth surrounded by a rich and creamy base.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Mollusks and algae left behind from the tidal waters cling to the boardwalk running along the Halifax Harbour.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Greg Cottreau, captain of the boat Katrina & Kayla named after his daughters, is a dying breed. Greg is a lobster fisherman following the footsteps of his father and grandfather, and has fished all his life. “We fish in the dead winter and our small boats see 35 to 40 miles an hour winds. Our lives are in danger everytime we let them lines go, and when you come in to shore, sometimes you can’t recognize our boats because they are iced-up so bad.”Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Le Caveau Restaurant at the Grand Pré Winery has a chowder boasting large chunks of lobster and scallops, in a rich potatoe chive base garnished with paprika and toasted almonds, on June 28, 2013 in Grand Pré, Nova Scotia.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Romeo Kollmar is a well-known fishing guru, and has been seen for over 25 years at the Halifax seaport. He makes his own lures out of red and silver tinsel which is good for attracting fish, on June 22, 2013 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

The Five Fishermen Restaurant & Grill in Halifax offers a chowder soup that has subtle flavours with a hint of dill, and large pieces of fish that fall apart in your mouth surrounded by a rich and creamy base.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Native born George Coombes is a country boy from Halifax, and is a woodworker by trade. When work is slow, he plays the bagpipes near Peggy’s Point Lighthouse to make people smile and for extra coin. “I have always loved the pipes, but never thought to take them up as a young fellow. I had tunes in my head and pipes in the corner, so I took them up and had lessons. I started when I was 50, and been at it for 14 years.”Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

A purple elastic holds Romeo Kollmar´s errant beard as he casts a line into the water. Romeo is a well-known fishing guru, and has been around for over 25 years at the Halifax seaport.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Tourists come to watch the stunning tidal display as 100 billion tonnes of seawater flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy from the Atlantic Ocean twice a day.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Tourists gather around Munden Batstone, a Newfoundlander retired to Nova Scotia, as he teaches tourists all about the lobster’s eggs, roe, shells and molting habits outside the Sou’Wester Restaurant & Giftshop. “I do this for fun, it’s a lovely summer job.”Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

A memorial church in the Grand-Pré National Historic Site of Canada stands proud guarding 3013 acres of land below sea level behind 28,455 feet of dyke, and maintained by the Nova Scotia Department of AgricultureOn June 23, 2013 in Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Tourists travel from all over to see Peggy’s Point Lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, a small fishing community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

A purple elastic holds Romeo Kollmar´s errant beard as he casts a line into the water. Romeo is a well-known fishing guru, and has been around for over 25 years at the Halifax seaport.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Tourists come to watch the stunning tidal display as 100 billion tonnes of seawater flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy from the Atlantic Ocean twice a day. On June 27, 2013 in Grand Pre, Nova Scotia.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

A seven-day trek down Nova Scotia’s Chowder Trail started serendipitously with one creamy bowl of soup and ended with a cultural experience as rich as the East Coast delicacy.

My travels began on the boardwalk in downtown Halifax’s Seaport Market as I rubbed elbows with artists from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and hobby fishermen. The aromatic smells of brine, fish and seaweed accompanied me along the boardwalk as wheeling and dipping seagulls took joy riding the thermals. As I dipped my hand into the Atlantic Ocean, it brushed against hundreds of baby jellyfish.

The Chowder Trail, a series of restaurants dotting the coast, is geared toward tourists looking to sample the region’s soup. I was introduced to the chowder passport and received my first stamp at the first restaurant within six hours of landing in Halifax. The cheeky restaurant manager then challenged me to visit all the participating restaurants, beginning my exploration of Nova Scotia.

The people I met along my travels, including Romeo Kollmar, were as varied as the 36 unique chowders I was encouraged to sample.

A purple elastic held Kollmar’s errant beard as he cast a line into the water. Kollmar, a well-known local fishing guru for more than 25 years at the Halifax seaport, seemed to know everything and everyone. Having fished maybe only 20 times in my life, he passed on some well-tested fishing tips: I learned that one bottom feeder, the pollock, is the catfish of the ocean, mackerel fishing rigs generally have five to six hooks, and on a good day you can catch a couple hundred mackerel and herring as they hang around together. Silver tinsel makes a good lure. And most importantly, everything that comes in with the tide, goes out with the tide.

I arrived between the lobster and scallop seasons, and travelling the scenic Evangeline Trail that circles the coast seeking the perfect bowl of chowder was a unique way to explore Nova Scotia. The Chowder Trail led me through Halifax, Peggy’s Cove, Yarmouth, the Annapolis Valley to the Bay of Fundy, and I encountered scenic names like Lobster Pound Road, Squid Cove, Lighthouse Road and Fisherman’s Harbour Lake.

As I wound my way around the province with spoon in hand, picturesque homes painted the colour of gems dotted the rolling countryside and signs every few kilometres promoted a flourishing cottage industry for Atlantic heirlooms, maple syrup, homemade quilts, native arts and crafts and farmer’s markets.

I will fondly remember walking barefoot on the sandy beach of Nova Scotia’s South Shore hunting for elusive coloured sea glass washed up by the waves at Larinda’s Landing oceanfront cottage, and watching the stunning tidal display as 100 billion tonnes of sea water flowed in and out of the Bay of Fundy each day.

As for my tastebuds, they came alive as I sampled a rich seafood chowder full of fresh lobster and scallops from Le Caveau Restaurant at the Grand Pré Winery near Wolfville.

Originally, I made the trip to attend my daughter’s Grade 12 graduation in Bridgetown, once an important shipbuilding centre steeped in Acadian history and full of beautiful heritage Victorian buildings. With a town population of 1,000, Bridgetown Regional High School graduation is a local event with more than half of the town’s residents sitting in bleachers, lawn chairs or lined up to view the action on the red carpet. The Grade 12 graduates in formal attire arrived from the back of the school and were presented one at a time as they disembarked from their vehicle of choice: the town’s fire truck, a Zamboni, golf carts, horse-drawn carriages, farm equipment or antique cars. It was the most quirky and outrageous cultural experience I have witnessed at any graduation ceremony.

I made the journey for a graduation, and ended up tasting my way through the province. The people I met were all heart, like their chowders I sampled. And as a seafood lover, no matter how “fresh” landlocked Alberta seafood is, it will never compare to the unparalleled flavour of seafood caught within minutes of it hitting your plate. As I tasted my way through Nova Scotia, the clean flavour of fresh lobster, halibut, salmon and scallops immersed in a rich creamy sauce seasoned with dill or thyme will stay with me.

If You Go

West Jet has direct daily flights to Halifax.

Larinda’s Landing Oceanfront Cottages, located along St. Margaret’s Bay, offer your own beachfront cabin along the sea. Beach Breeze Motel is a little known secret located along the Evangeline Beach Road in Grand Pré. You walk out of your cottage to the oceanfront view of the Bay of Fundy and the amazing display of tidal waters. Carleton Motel & Cabins in Bridgetown is a wonderful cabin location to explore the beautiful Annapolis Valley. Also check out the Atlantica Hotel for the proximity of Halifax attractions, and their restaurant Seasons by Atlantica.

On the Chowder Trail, check out the Five Fishermen Restaurant & Grill in Halifax, Le Caveau Restaurant at the Grand Pré Winery, Paddy’s Brewpub & Rosie’s Restaurant in Wolfville, and of course, you can’t miss the world-renowned scallops from Digby.

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I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.